Workstudy

Campus Employment Policies

Campus Employment Policies and Procedures

For the full Student Employment Policies and Procedures, please read the updated 2023 Handbook.

POLICIES

General On-Campus Employment

1.   All full-time students and part-time students are eligible for on-campus employment. Graduated seniors are NOT eligible for on-campus employment. Students who are interested in on-campus employment can search for employment opportunities through nwciowa.joinhandshake.com and department supervisors. Students can log into Handshake using their NWC email address and password.  Once logged in, students should click on “Jobs” and then the “On Campus” tab to look for employment opportunities that are available on Northwestern’s campus. The Compass Center for Career & Calling has created a simple instruction guide for students to use while applying for jobs through Handshake. 

2.   A majority of jobs on campus are considered to be contracted jobs. Contracted jobs require students to sign a contract with their supervisor which indicates an agreement to that job and the work that is expected.  A Contract "A" Job is a position on campus where students work approximately 5 hours per week throughout the academic year.  With Contract "A" Jobs, students can rely on having consistent hours, and, therefore, consistent pay. Contract "B" Jobs are positions that are more inconsistent in hours worked each week.  A student could work anywhere from 1-5 hours per week and sometimes have weeks where they do not work at all.

3.   Students are allowed to hold two contracted jobs on campus (that is, two Contract "A" jobs on campus). The maximum hours (for contracted jobs) worked by a student each week should not exceed 10 hours. 

4.   A student should not regularly be working over 5 hours per week at a job unless it is noted on the contract that their job will require more hours on a consistent basis. If a student has one job where he/she works 10 hours per week, that is acceptable but that job will count as two jobs. 

5.   In order to hold a second contracted job a student must be in good academic standing with the college. This policy is meant to ensure academics will not falter is a student is working more (or being allowed to work more).  Students must maintain at GPA of 2.0 or above in order to hold more than one contracted job.  Note: a student can hold one contracted job and his/her GPA will not be monitored.  This policy is only in place if a student holds more than one contracted job. 

6.   Contracts for student employment on campus are annual contracts. Contracts for students will be reviewed and evaluated annually. 

7.   Off-Campus tutors must qualify for federal work study.

8.   There are still jobs on campus that are considered non-contract. Non-contract jobs can be held by any student, even if they already have contracted jobs.  Please see the list below for jobs that are considered non-contract. 

Academic Support Athletic Band
Some Grant Funded or Donor Funded Programs (i.e. Lily) Beacon Writers

9.   Combining all contracted and non-contracted jobs, students should not be working more than 20 hours/week. Please keep this in mind when applying for and accepting jobs on campus.

10.   Commuter Students who receive the staff/faculty waiver are allowed to hold only one job on campus.

11.   Students may not work in the same department as their parent, or be supervised by someone else in the department that is under the direct supervision of that parent.

12.   Student employees need to complete pre-employment forms prior to working on campus.  There are four pre-employment forms that need completed:  federal W-4, state W-4, I-9 and direct deposit authorization.  These forms only need to be filled out once.  (A student is allowed to fill out the forms again at any time if they need to make any changes to their forms).  See the chart below for more information regarding the pre-employment forms.

Form When to Fill Out Office Where to Find?
I-9 and W-4’s Before starting 1st campus job Human Resources Office

Students may look on MyNWC/Workstudy/Campus Employment Forms OR on My Checklist

Supervisors may look on J:Drive/Campus Employment/Pre-Employment Forms
Direct Deposit Authorization Forms Before starting 1st campus job Human Resources Office

Students may look on MyNWC/Workstudy/Campus Employment Forms OR on My Checklist

Supervisors may look on J:Drive/Campus Employment/Pre-Employment Forms
Job Contract Needs to be completed for each job a student holds every year Human Resources Office

J:Drive/Campus Employment/Student Employment Contracts/2023-2024

MyNorthwestern/Work Study/Campus Employment

 

 

PROCEDURES

Clock In/Out and Pay Procedures  

1.   Student employees are required to log their hours worked electronically, either via the clock-in/clock-out station at their job or through the Timecard Entry page in the workstudy tab on the MyNWC portal system.  Student employees will select the correct timecard or department (if they are working more than one job) and then log their time in and out.  Click here to view a guide on how to use the time entry system.  

2.   All hours need to be logged by midnight on the last day of the month.  Supervisors will submit timecards on the 1st working day of the following month.  (I.e. Student employees will log all hours worked in November no later than midnight on November 30th.  On December 1st, supervisors will submit hours via MyNWC to our student payroll system).   

3.   Student employees are paid on (approximately) the 10th of every month for hours worked the month prior. For example, student employees would be paid on December 10th for hours worked in November. 

4.   Student employee’s pay is direct deposited into their bank account (the bank account they provided with the direct deposit authorization form). Student employee’s pay is not directly applied to their tuition cost and/or their student bill.   

5.   Student employees do not receive physical pay stubs. To view a pay stub, student employees can log in to MyNWC/Workstudy/View My Paystub. 

 

 

 

 

 

Supervisor Responsibilities

On-Campus Employment Supervisor Responsibilities

Determine the number of student employees your office / department will be hiring. 

  • This is determined based on your budget and/or the budget report you receive.

 

Advertise Positions on NWC's job search site (Handshake)

  • A Handshake Instruction Guide has been created to assist you in creating an employer account and post job openings.  You can find that guide here or on the J:Drive/Campus Employment/Handshake.  If you need assistance posting a job, please contact Sara Zomermaand, Student Employment & Payroll Coordinator. 
  • Current job descriptions for your department can be found on the J:Drive/Campus Employment/WS Job Descriptions
  • If you want students to complete a resume, application or submit additional documents with their Handshake application, you can add this right in to the Handshake posting.
  • Post jobs between April 1 and May 1 for upperclassmen (only 2/3 of your job openings)
  • Post jobs June 1 until filled for incoming freshman (1/3 of your job openings)

 

Hire your student workers (graduated seniors are not eligible)

  • Students should apply for your job via Handshake.
  • Review and sign a contract with student employees for all contracted jobs.  Contracts can be found on J:Drive/Campus Employment/Student Employment Contracts or on MyNWC/Workstudy/Campus Employment.
  • Send contracts of your hired student employees to the Human Resources Office (lower level in Zwemer Hall). 
    • Please note:  students are only loaded into the timecard entry/approval system and into the student employee and payroll database and payroll system by turning in their job contract to HR.  

 

Before a student can work for you, please ensure the following is complete:

  • Check to make sure all their pre-employment forms are filled out.  Forms needed before a student employee can start work and before they can be paid are:  I-9 Form, W-4 Federal Form, W-4 State Form, and Direct Deposit Authorization Form.
    • To see if a student has his/her forms complete, look on the excel spreadsheet entitled "Campus Employment_xx_xx_xxxx" on J:Drive/Campus Employment.
    •  If students have not yet completed their forms, direct them to their MyChecklist on their MyNWC or MyNWC/Workstudy/Campus Employment Forms or you can print forms for them from the J:Drive/Campus Employment/Pre-Employment Forms.  Forms can also be picked up in the Human Resources Office.
  • Ensure you have a signed contract with the student.
    • Student employment contracts are annual contracts. Contracts with students need to be reviewed and evaluated annually.  If a student is returning to the same job next year, he/she needs to complete a new contract for that job.
    • Student employees are uploaded into the student payroll database once their contract is turned in and their pre-employment forms are completed.  This then opens a timecard for them to log their hours and allows you to see them on your department roster in the timecard approval page on the Workstudy tab on your MyNWC page.  

 

Supervisors will need to submit hours their student employees logged every month through the timecard approval page in the Workstudy tab.  Instructions for how to submit hours can be found here.  Supervisors can also view the video guide in the Start Here (Supervisors) section for a quick demonstration on how to submit hours.  

  • Supervisors will submit hours on the 1st working day of the month for hours worked by their student employees the month prior.  For example, supervisors will submit September hours worked by their student employees on October 1st. 
  • Student employees cannot be paid for their hours worked unless they are submitted by their supervisor on the 1st of the month.  

 

 

 

Student Employment Contracts - Summer

Student Employment Contracts

Handouts list view Handouts card view

2023-2024 Student Contracts

Time sheet information

REQUIRED FORMS

Prior to processing any student payroll, all pre-employment forms need to be completed.  Required forms are the direct deposit authorization agreement, federal and state W-4's and the I-9.  Along with completed I-9 form, two valid forms of ID will need to be shown (examples of what can be shown are given on page 3 of the I-9).  

Direct Deposit Authorization Agreement - Student

Federal W-4, 2023

Iowa W-4, 2023

I-9 Form

 

Once students obtain employment on campus, it is required of students to electronically log their hours worked.  This is done through the WorkStudy Tab found on the MyNWC portal system.  After hours are logged for the month and students finalize their hours, supervisors will submit their student employee's hours through the timecard approval system.